Wednesday, October 14, 2015

The Southern Poverty Law Center yesterday filed an ethics complaint (full text) with the Judicial Inquiry Commission of Alabama alleging that Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker violated the state's Code of Judicial Ethics when, in a radio interview, he suggested that the Alabama Supreme Court defy the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell decision legalizing same-sex marriage. As summarized by an SPLC press release:

The complaint cites comments made by Parker during an Oct. 6 radio show, “Focal Point,” hosted by Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association. Fischer has used his radio show to promote outrageous, denigrating claims about LGBT people, Muslims, Native Americans and African Americans.

In the interview, Parker not only discussed a marriage equality case pending before the Alabama Supreme Court – Ex parte State v. King – he voiced his personal opinion about the case and suggested that Alabama should defy the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in order to lead to a “revival of what we need in this country.”